The High Court has issued a rule asking why it should not scrap the bail granted to Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, a Jubo League leader who was expelled for his alleged ties to a gambling racket, in a case over accumulating illegal wealth and money laundering.
Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat issued the rule on Tuesday in response to a petition from the Anti-Corruption Commission seeking to overturn the rule, reports bdnews24.com.
The bench asked the state and Samrat for their arguments and set Oct 23 for a hearing on the rule.
Md Khurshid Alam Khan represented the ACC at the hearing. Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.
The ACC petitioned the High Court to overturn the bail granted to Samrat on Monday.
The High Court had previously scrapped the bail granted to Samrat by a judge’s court in May. At the instructions of the High Court, Samrat surrendered to the court and petitioned for bail once again.
On Aug 22, Judge Md Asifuzzaman of the Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-6 granted Samrat interim bail until Sept 19.
Samrat was freed from jail after 31 months on Aug 10. He spent a few more days at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical University, where he had been receiving treatment under police custody before his release on bail. On Aug 26 Samrat, accompanied by hundreds of party activists, went to pay his respects at the mural of Bangabandhu on Dhanmondi Road 32.
Asked about his political intentions by the media, Samrat said at the time: “I have no political intentions. I have always been an activist for Sheikh Hasina and will continue to work as her activist.”
Samrat is facing four separate cases. He had received bail in three of them before he was granted bail in the ACC case over illegal wealth on Aug 10, clearing the path for his release from prison. The ACC is now moving to block the bail in the fourth case.
Samrat, the former president of Jubo League’s Dhaka South unit, came under scrutiny over his alleged ties to the illegal gambling business after the Rapid Action Battalion busted casino operations in numerous clubs in the capital in September 2020.
He subsequently went into hiding before being arrested in Cumilla on Oct 6 that year.
Samrat was implicated in four cases relating to the possession of firearms, narcotics, money laundering and illegal wealth acquisition.
